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Canadian government and automotive industry sign agreement

More safety for drivers and passengers thanks to optimal belt routing. The new regulations make RAMSIS eBTD the standard solution in North America.

27.09.2006

The Canadian Ministry of Transport and representatives of the automotive industry have concluded an agreement which will make vehicles still safer for their occupants. An integral part of the agreement is extensive belt routing tests, during which the effects of accidents on drivers and passengers will be intensively studied. It's up to the manufacturers themselves to decide whether they wish to take the risk of having their models tested by the Canadian authorities after production, or use a simulation during the design phase to ensure that all the regulations have been complied with. The RAMSIS software solution with the eBTD module by the Human Solutions Company is the only simulation program with test results that are recognized by the Canadian authorities. The new agreement between the Canadian government and the automotive industry has thus made RAMSIS the standard solution in belt routing analysis.

Dr. Hans-Joachim Wirsching, Human Solutions GmbH, commented: “This agreement with the Canadian government is more meaningful for the international automotive industry than it appears at first glance. On the one hand, it can act as a role model for the laws of other countries which may also demand comparable certification in the future. On the other hand, the import of all vehicles into the USA is processed through Canada for fiscal reasons. This means that official Canadian approval is a pre-requisite for every manufacturer who wishes to supply the North American market. Whoever tests the vehicles after production has finished is naturally taking an enormous financial risk. Most developers make sure that all requirements are fulfilled during the design stage - and replace the latter-stage physical test with an early-stage, extensive computer analysis. Since the RAMSIS eBTD software results are the only ones recognized by the Canadian authorities, I hardly believe that any well-known manufacturer would choose to dispense with our solution.”

Press Release - Transport Canada

Lawrence Cannon, Canadian Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, announced the new regulation on belt routing together with two further topics (airbag protection for children and prevention of serious injuries in case of collision between vehicles of differing sizes). You can download the entire press release of 28th July 2006 from http://www.tc.gc.ca in English or French.

Background Information - Seat Belt:

Tests in Canada with and without eBTDThe belt routing of every vehicle which has to be legally approved in Canada must be analyzed and evaluated in accordance with safety aspects. These tests will be carried out with an appliance developed by ourselves, the Beltfit Test Device (BTD). During this procedure, the simulation of a human being's torso and pelvis will be placed in the vehicle. The risk of serious injury caused by collision will be evaluated based on measurement scales on the clavicle, the sternum and the hip area.

In line with the current agreement, these physical tests may also be substituted by a computer simulation using the so-called Electronic Beltfit Test Device (eBTD). The eBTD was developed by Human Solutions and is available as a module in RAMSIS or as a standalone program.

The CAD tool RAMSIS enables the realistic rendering of international body measurement data and efficient analyses of visibility, comfort and ergonomics. Around 90 real, statistically supported physique types are saved in an anthropometric database. The typology is based on body height, proportion and corpulence; international types can also be selected. The average citizen specified by Transport Canada is also included. Persons are represented by so-called manikins, whose physique corresponds to the previously selected data.

The latter-stage belt routing is calculated and controlled based on the manikin positioned in the virtual cockpit. Complex belt kinematics can thus be simulated, including belt buckle anchorage and deflection. A comprehensive library of anchorages enables the simulation of almost any real-life configuration.